Scars
by In Darkness Is Light
Summary: Fed up with having others gaze contemptuously at Kakashi, Rin forms a plan. One that will surely not let them, or him for that matter, forget. Hints of KakaRin.


_**I****DIL's Note:** Hey all. This was meant to be a short one, but it turned out a long one. Sorry! Well, you have a little bit of friendship!KakaRin, so hope you enjoy. :)_

Disclaimer: I do _not_ own Naruto.

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_And our scars remind us that the past is real._

_- Scars, Papa Roach_

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Rin pulled open the door to the hospital room, smiling bravely as she walked inside.

Today was going to be the day Kakashi would be released after his treatment for the newly acquired Sharingan. He had been hospitalized after having passed out unexpectedly in the middle of their trip back home from the mission that had forever changed their lives.

She walked over to his hospital bed where he was currently resting but awake, his left Sharingan eye covered while his right eye stared up at the ceiling, gazing morosely at nothing in particular. "Kakashi?"

He turned to her, scrutinizing her appearance with his visible eye, checking for any signs of injury. Relieved to see that there were none present, he raised an eyebrow in questioning at her, as if to ask, 'Yes?'

"You're being released today, but sensei asked me to take you somewhere to eat before bringing you home."

He shook his head, trying to not succumb to the dizziness and nearly permanent motion sickness that seemed to accompany his new eye. "It's not necessary," he brushed her off, swinging his legs over the side of the hospital bed and slipping them into his shoes, "I'll eat when I get home."

Rin glanced at him worriedly, wondering whether or not she should risk angering him and carry out her favour to sensei – though it was a favour done entirely willingly – against Kakashi's wishes. Her mind became made up however as she watched the young boy stand up shakily, trying his best to maintain his composure as he wobbled and swayed his way to the door. One misstep, and he was thrown at the closed door, his forehead heading on a collision course to the handle. Without hesitation, Rin quickly grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar, pulling him into a standing position.

She frowned up at him. "You haven't eaten for nearly a week. That's why you're so dizzy. If you plan to get home, you'll have to feed yourself first. Besides," she motioned to his covered left eye, "you'll need someone to guide you home. You're never going to get there safely without one; you'll just wind up crashing into poles."

With that said, she slipped her arm around his, ready to guide him, and was left a little more than surprised when he did nothing to pull away.

He stood there with her like that for a few moments, trying to regain some semblance of balance, of normalcy. His hands tightened into fists out of frustration; all this just reminded him how useless, how helpless he really was. And he didn't like it. Not one bit. Now that his perfect utopia of superiority had shattered before his eyes, he was forced to face the reality – that of being just another kid who just lost another friend.

He barely registered his feet moving or the ground beneath him shaking as he stared at the floor and began walking in the direction Rin was guiding him. The only thing he found himself thankful for at the moment was how Rin had placed herself directly in his blind spot. That way, he couldn't see her helping him. And Kakashi recognized that if one couldn't see something, then maybe that something wasn't really there. Not that he didn't want her to be. Although, he didn't. Not really. He was still much too ashamed to face her. But maybe if he didn't see her helping him, then she really wasn't (although he supposed that by purposely putting herself in his blind spot, she was helping even more) and maybe if he didn't see her helping him, others couldn't either.

As they stepped outside the hospital, and into the familiar glow of twilight Konoha, Rin paused to ask Kakashi where he would like to eat. He responded by mumbling that it didn't really matter, and that they should probably just go someplace simple. "Ok then," Rin smiled up at him, "let's choose somewhere near the hospital, so we don't have to walk too far."

He nodded at her in acknowledgement of the idea, and minutes later they walked into a small restaurant that was widely known for its fast service and decent taste.

The minute they opened the door and passed through it, all eyes fell on them. The patrons glared at the pair, gaping at their outrageous audacity to show the bandaged eye in public, while the restaurant workers' eyes held part fear and part of that same outrage the patrons possessed. Rin winced involuntarily at the stares, glad to be in Kakashi's blind spot, but courageously pulled Kakashi's arm closer, wanting to show everyone that they should stop making a big deal out of it, and to show Kakashi that she was there for him, that she still supported him.

Kakashi winced a little as well, before resolving to look at the floorboards in discomfiture. He felt the tug on his arm from Rin, and was mildly pleased and harshly disgusted with himself when he noticed that he didn't mind it one bit. Still staring down at the floor, he spun around dizzily, wanting to get out of the restaurant, away from the suffocating disapproving glares. Was this how his father had felt coming back to Konoha? If so, Kakashi surmised, it was no wonder that he wanted to kill himself. Sensing his urgency, Rin pulled herself around as well and they both headed out of the restaurant, walking silently.

The process repeated for the next few places they attempted to walk into until finally she resigned to bringing them to the small café directly opposite the hospital gates. Though they had nothing in there but sandwiches and soups, Rin doubted that Kakashi would mind – in fact, she was sure that he would be highly pleased with the almost abandoned location.

When they walked in, the doorbell above them jingling, they were assaulted by a sudden gust of hot air and the smell of cheaply made coffee. The one worker in the café glanced up at them, staring at Kakashi in shock for a few moments, before returning to her job of cleaning the display case windows.

Rin walked over to an empty table for four, expertly withdrew a chair with one hand, and used her other to grab a still dizzy Kakashi by the shoulders and sit him down. He groaned in protest at her actions, claiming that he could do it just fine himself, but she ignored his scathing comments, simply smiling at him and heading over to the counter to order their dinners. Minutes later she returned to the table with a soup for herself, and pretty much the biggest combo meal she could find for Kakashi.

They began to eat slowly, neither really tasting the food, and continued on in silence. When they were both finished, Rin wordlessly drew back Kakashi's chair, placed on of his arms around her shoulders, and pulled him up by the waist. He of course protested again, but she simply smiled, albeit a little sadly, up at him and took his arm in hers, guiding him out the door and back into the night.

He walked awkwardly out of sync with her and wondered with mild curiosity why he wasn't separating his arm from hers, now that the dizziness had passed.

Being kindasorta blind in one eye, Kakashi realized, made everything harder than it seemed. As soon as he'd been able to stop wobbling when he walked, Rin had finally allowed him to take a few steps on his own. He had quickly begun to run away from her, glad to finally be free, but his attempts had been abruptly thwarted as he turned a corner and was had himself a meeting with a lamppost.

Rin followed after him, eyes wide with shock and worry as she watched him run away, disappearing entirely as he sharply turned a corner. When she caught up with him, she found him sprawled on the ground directly in front of a lamppost, rubbing a spot on his forehead, his eyes hard with barely suppressed anger. At the sight of it all, she loosened and let out a small giggle, causing his glare to be turned onto her, which only served to make her laugh harder. Amusement still evident in her sepia irises, she squatted down and lifted him back up, pausing briefly to inquire if he was ok.

When they finally reached his apartment, Rin had set him down lightly on his mattress and practically commanded him to fall asleep. Kakashi nodded at her, his eyes following her enquiringly as she disappeared into his bathroom and turned on the sink tap. She emerged moments later with a neatly folded and sopping wet face towel that she placed on his forehead, smoothing back his hairline affectionately as she did. She then strolled into his kitchen, bringing back with her a glass of water and a small tablet. "Here," she directed gently, "take this."

He obediently swallowed the tablet and laid back down on the mattress, staring up at her strangely as he continued to sit on the edge of his bed. "You know," he cleared his throat, his voice hoarse from not having spoken for so many days, "you can go home now," he told her as a kind way of asking her to leave.

She didn't really seem to take the hint, as she just smiled back at him saying, "Go to sleep Kakashi," and he found her the next morning sitting at one of his kitchen chairs, her head in her hands, which were sprawled out across the table. He stood there for a while, simply staring down at her sleeping form. He vaguely wondered why he wasn't waking her up, kicking her out of his apartment without so much as a thank you. He figured it didn't really matter the answer, and turned his thoughts instead to trying to decipher the meaning behind her being here. Sure, she had healed him countless times before, but she always left him alone after healing him. What was so different about this time that she didn't? And more importantly, why was she still here? Why wasn't she running away from a monster like him, shooting him the same contemptuous glares everyone else did? He tried to think up the answers to his questions, something that only resulted in a massive headache overtaking him, and resigned himself to the idea that maybe, just like to all the other questions, the answer didn't matter. It was answer enough that she was still there.

Rin woke up to the smell of hot tea being made. She looked up groggily from her position on the table, turning her head this way and that, trying to work out the kinks in her neck. Where was she…? A flood of memories came back, flashing in front of her eyes at an alarming rate, and she finally remembered why she was here. _Obito…Kakashi… _Speaking of the latter, where was he? Rin shot up immediately, following the scent of boiling green tea and the whistle of a kettle to Kakashi's kitchen. She was taken aback as she noticed him pouring the tea effortlessly into two cups, only a small amount spilling out the sides. She gawked at his coordination. No wonder everyone called him a genius.

As he noticed her coming in, his brow furrowed in concentration, trying to pour the tea with the utmost precision. If he could prove that he was capable of doing all the simple tasks on his own, maybe he could go back to having some control over his life. Maybe she'd leave. He offered her a cup when he was done pouring, and she took it with a small smile, and a muttered 'thank you'. She downed it slowly, calmly, much like he did, and when she finished, she washed her cup, and told him that she had to go to work, but she would be back again around lunch time and then he could take a walk outside to get lunch. Other than that, she commanded firmly, he was not to be walking outside.

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Lunch came and sure enough, Kakashi was walking with Rin to yet another restaurant. She allowed him to take a few more steps than last time on his own, and both felt rather pleased as he managed to manoeuvre successfully around another lamppost. Unfortunately, the minute they walked in to another restaurant, they were met with the same glares as the night before, and once again had to resign themselves to eating at a nearly abandoned shop.

The same process continued over and over, shaming Kakashi and frustrating Rin, to the point where he wanted to never wander outside again and she never wanted to do anything but punch everyone in the face who so much as looked at him in what could be considered the wrong way.

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Rin was upset. No, she was furious. She had been upset maybe a week ago. Now, she was outraged.

How could these people look at Kakashi like that? How could they stare so senselessly at the mark on his face? How could they treat him as well about as well as they treated the dirt beneath their sandals? Yes, he had made a mistake, one that could never be repaired. But that eye…that eye had willingly been given to him.

She recalled the last time they went out and people had stared at him so disgustedly again. She had let go of his arm, and watched him walk out, before yelling, "What's wrong with you people?! It's just a scar!" and stalking out angrily after him.

With a sigh, Rin decided that there must be something to be done. But what…? It was obvious that her words wouldn't really faze the people…no; it would take a much bigger action to get their attention. But what could she do? She ran a hand along her forehead, her fingers feeling a scar she had acquired by smashing into a tree during a particularly rough training session.

Scar…Scar…she knew there was something in that, but what? …Aha! She grabbed a small scalpel from her medical kit, running it lightly along her fingers to test its sharpness. Pleased to see that it was perfectly sharp as always, she smiled and put its tip just under her left eyebrow. She knew that she could always count on her medical supplies for help. Exercising caution, Rin applied a small amount of pressure to the scalpel and ran a small line with it down to her eyelids. She lifted it from there and was pleased to see a small trickle of blood oozing down. She wiped it off with care, and then proceeded to make a similarly small incision starting from under her eyes to just about her cheekbone. It was small enough of a scar that she could just rub some polysporin and have it disappear in a matter of days, but it was big enough to be clearly noticeable, and would no doubt attract some bewildered stares.

Turning her attention to her night table, she found the small box containing what she was looking for. After one particularly fun but foolish Halloween preparation with Obito where she dressed up as a character from a famous children's tale, Alice in Wonderland, Rin had bought a pair of shockingly blue contact lenses, a pair that she saved only for special occasions and those rare days where she felt the need for some change. Taking one lens on her finger, she used her other hand to keep her eyelids open and successfully placed the blue lens in. Rin regarded herself briefly in the mirror, feeling energized with a newfound power, slid a black hood from her sweater over her head, and walked out the door, heading in the direction of Kakashi's apartment.

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Kakashi sighed as he heard a knock on the door. _Great, another trip to hell with Rin._ He was getting quite sick of their little escapades as of late. Perhaps it had something to do with the insurmountable number of awkward glares he'd received every time they went out. Opening the door, he noted that sure enough, it was Rin. But there was something…odd about her today. A hood covered her normally cheerful face and she didn't even look up at him to smile when he greeted her. She simply grabbed him by the arm, literally dragging him out of his apartment, and they once again took to the streets of Konoha.

As per usual, Rin inquired as to what restaurant Kakashi wished to go to, and he replied that any one she wanted was fine. After all, she usually picked the most secluded places, just to save him embarrassment. It left him astounded, to say the least, when she brought him to the most crowded shinobi restaurant on the east side of Konoha, and swung open the door, walking in ahead of him. As soon as she was inside, she pushed her hood back, revealing her face. All the patrons' eyes snapped immediately from Kakashi's face to hers in astonishment. They gawked at her, mouths gaping, unable to form any coherent sentence. "You…you…"

Kakashi noticed their peculiar stares, and was confused when he realized they were not directed at him. Turning his head to the left, he caught a glimpse of Rin's face, and sucked in a breath harshly through gritted teeth. What the hell did she think she was doing?

"What?" He heard Rin ask unpleasantly, a sneer on her features. "What are you all looking it?"

One man seated at the front of the restaurant pointed at her. "S-Sc-Scar…"

"Exactly," she rounded on him, "I've got a scar. It's just a scar. So why are you all still staring?"

The majority of shinobi turned back to their plates, discomfort still evident on their features. There were a few however who revolted at her. "Are you another one?! Are you like him?" They jabbed accusing fingers in Kakashi's direction. "Is your scar the result of bloodshed, the result of death?"

"No, it is just a scar," her voice rose to a crescendo, "Just like the ones you have on your own arms and legs and faces! Who knows how much blood is on your hands! You have no right, no right to judge _him_," she pointed back at Kakashi, "because of that scar!"

One of the accusing men snarled at her. "Why are you protecting a murder, little girl? Don't talk as if you understand these things! It was his foolishness, the foolishness no doubt implanted into him by his disgrace of a father, that caused that boy's death!"

Rin headed over to the man, her hand raised as though she were about to smack him straight across the face, but instead she boldly grabbed him by the chin and pulled his face dangerously close to hers. "Don't talk as if you understand things, old man," she sneered coldly. "Kakashi made a mistake, yes," and she didn't dare turn around to face him as she admitted that out loud, "but it's one that anyone would have made. The mission or your comrade? What, sir, would you have chosen?"

The man fell silent, averting his eyes from her face. "I…"

"Exactly. Don't you see how stupid you're all being? You're the foolish ones! Hating on a child so severely when you don't even fully know and understand the circumstances he's been under?! What kind of people are you?! I used to have faith in the opinion of Konoha shinobi…but if this is who you really are…if you would so readily turn your back on one of your own, make him feel unwanted and uncomfortable and ashamed…if this is your idea of the shinobi way…then your opinions are worth less to me than trash!"

After her outburst, no one in the restaurant said anything, simply turning to stare gawkily at their food. Rin smiled at the tense yet peaceful atmosphere, as she turned her attention to a waitress and called politely, "Excuse me, do you have a table for two?" The girl in question just nodded dumbly before regaining her composure and leading them to a table. She seated them and took their order before disappearing into the kitchen area.

Kakashi said nothing, simply choosing to gawk at Rin in much the same manner the patrons had done, with a large amount of shock and a small amount of anger. Rin took one look at his face and began giggling. "Oh come on, Kakashi, don't tell me I have to lecture you about staring as well…?"

He turned his head away, obviously embarrassed. He didn't know what to feel right now. Anger at her actions, anger at her for getting everyone's attention and putting him in the spotlight, gratefulness for getting his scar out of the spotlight, or just general bewilderment at her uncharacteristic behaviour. "Uh…yeah…" He replied nonsensically, and once more they had dinner in silence, though this time the background chatter of the rest of the patrons, some of whom still cast furtive glances back towards them once in a while, accompanied them.

After paying their bill, they walked out of the restaurant and back to Kakashi's apartment. On the way there Rin noticed that he kept glancing sideways at her, and decided to inquire what was the matter. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering," he paused, uncomfortable, "if that scar is going to go away eventually."

She looked confused. "Yours or mine?"

"Yours."

"Oh, yes," she assured him, "just needs a little polysporin and poof! Good as new!"

He nodded, and she could have sworn she saw a smile peak out from under the mask. "Good."

They continued their trek at a leisurely pace until Kakashi stopped and looked at her intensely. "Why did you do that? Back in there?" He motioned with his head towards the restaurant.

"To get people to stop bugging you, of course. People don't have any right to look at you like that, like you're some kind of disgrace, some kind of monster. You're not. And they have to get over themselves, and they have to ignore whatever stupid rumours they've heard. I meant what I said. No one has the right to judge you for your actions. No one has the right to punish you or judge you for your actions. Not even yourself."

He looked down, disagreeing with the last part. He needed to punish himself, he needed to judge himself, if only to ensure that he didn't make the same stupid mistake again. If only to ensure that another life would not be lost on his hands. He realized she still hadn't answered his question, or maybe she didn't understand it. "Yes, but why? Why stand up for me like that?"

She looked surprised, as though he had asked her the stupid and most obvious thing in the world. "Well…because I'm your friend of course. And I love you," he winced at that part, "And I'm here to protect you as best I can from idiotic people who don't know when to shut up." She paused and averted her eyes downward, shifting some dirt beneath her with the toe of her sandal. "And I'm always here for you, you know," she said shyly, "if, ah, you need to talk or something."

He watched her shy expression and felt a wave of relief wash over him at the familiarity of it. Never did he find himself wishing to see that small, bashful smile on her face or the timid look in her eyes, or the entire shy aura that surrounded her as much as he did these past days. Quite frankly, she had been starting to worry him with her overprotective, let's-beat-up-anyone-who-is-stupid-enough-to-talk-bad-about-Kakashi attitude. He offered a small smile in return, his eyes crinkling, and patted her lightly on the shoulder. "Well, thanks," he expressed his gratitude awkwardly, masking it partially behind a cough.

She smiled up at him genuinely now. This was the first time in months he had given her that smile, and she had longed to see it, often wondering when it would grace her with its presence once more. That small smile coupled with his thanks, had determined to her that he was healing, little by little. Small steps. He was still visibly disturbed by Obito's death, but she could tell that with some help, overtime his scars would heal.

And she would always be there to help him.


End file.
